TRACY – For many precincts in Lyon County, the upcoming election will mean choosing new members of local, county, state and national government. In Tracy, there will be something else in addition.

Tracy voters will be deciding on two ballot questions on Nov. 6. Both questions concern proposed changes to the city charter, with one question focusing on whether to add two new city council seats, and the other clarifies term limits for the Tracy mayor and council members.

The two ballot questions were proposed by the Tracy Charter Commission, said Tracy City Administrator Kris Ambuehl. The intent of the proposal to expand the city council was to allow for a more diverse group of council members, he said. However, the proposal had met with some negative responses from both members of the public and Tracy council members. This summer, council members said they wanted to put the question to voters, rather than making the decision themselves.

The ballot question on city council makeup is phrased as a yes-or-no question, asking whether the city charter should be amended to say that the city council is composed of a mayor and six council members elected at large.

Tracy’s city council used to have seven total members, but according to the city charter, it was reduced to a mayor and four council members starting in 2011.

The second ballot question clarifies the term limits of Tracy’s mayor and city council members. Like the first question, the second ballot question asks voters to reply “yes” or “no” to a city charter amendment. In this case, the amendment would state that no mayor or council member can serve more than 14 consecutive elected or appointed years. After the 14-year point, the mayor or council member would have to take a one-year hiatus. Mayor and councilperson terms would be four years.

Voters can read the ballot questions by viewing a sample ballot at the Lyon County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office, located on the second floor of the Lyon County Government Center in Marshall. Online sample ballots are also available at https://myballotmn.sos.state.mn.us/.